The Great Bestiary of Adratal
Prologue Written in collaboration with many different trackers, hunters, and scholars, from every nation, The Great Bestiary is a written collection of the worlds animals, insects, and creatures of unknown origin and their behaviors. Though woefully incomplete, this book contains notes and illustrations on at least three animals native to each nation. Invertebrates Auroral Mautilus- '''Strait of Mestisys '''Habitat and Location: Southern Mestisyian Sea Diet: Omnivorous, feeding mostly on plankton, shrimp, small small fish, and snapperwaed Size: Their soft eggs can range from football-sizes to a large gourd or pumkin. These eggs harden once they hatch and exist as their first shell; over it's lifetime it will change shells two to three times, and will grow to from the size it was born with, to a small mattress or coffee-table size. General Appearance: The Auroral Mautilus is a large sized hard-shelled creature that live in and between the southern locks, as well as the southern sea of Mestisys. They are known for their bright, opaline shells produced during birth that grow with the creature, until eventually shedding into another shell to grow underneath. The shell gains contrast in color as it ages from the sea water, but also brittleness- discarded shells gather and what give the nutrient rich area it's white and soft sands along the bay. These shells are fished and harvested, labeled for their quality, and are a commodity in high demand by the Mestisyian government. The softer, whiter shells can be cooked and heat treated for body armor, worn by the Royal Guard of the realm, while the brittler, more lustrous pieces are boiled and used for weapons. Finally, if something is so perfectly lustrous and the rainbow of colors found on it wide, it may be claimed as property of the clergy and used in ceremonial rituals or as an object of enchantment. The inner creature otherwise resembles a small octopus, with spearhead legs used for jetting across the sea floor- ten in total; there are many documented cases of swimmers in the southern coastal cities or towns to be rammed by a Mautilus swimming by, capable of bruising and sometimes breaking large bones if fast enough. As the creature ages, it is rare, but not unheard of, for a Mautilus to reach a fourth shell, indicating it's ripe old age- these are considered extremely dangerous, for any shell it produces on it's body is too brittle to grow properly and, when swimming, can ram ships- it's shell shattering- along with the lower wall of the ships hull. Splitheaded Whalekraken- The Chained Promontory Habitat and Location: Western Oceans, close to arctic circles Diet: Apparently the courage of sailors as nobody dared research these for long enough to find out. Size: Humongous General Appearance: The name "Whalekraken" really just means completely scary and huge octopus. It doesn't help that this creatures head is split into two long bulbs which have their own pair of eyes. Between these two head-ends, a sort of maw is located. This is actually not the creature's mouth but an array of terrifying horns which happen to be shaped like teeth. The actual mouth of this kraken is also in the middle of the eight arms, as it is the case with every octopus. Swimming on its side, the creature can be mistaken for a whale that suddenly split's its own head by opening the mouth over 180° at first sight though, hence its name. The horn-maw of the splitheaded whalekraken can easily grind battleships into splinters and is probably used to brawl with even more intimidating creatures of the depths. Feathered Octopus- The Chained Promontory Habitat and Location: Jungles Diet:'''Coconuts, Bananas, Fireflies '''Size: Fit in a beer mug General Appearance: The ancestors of the feathered octopus developed straggly bits of skin which more and more became feathers although not originating from scales. As a result the feathered octopus can actively change the color of individual feathers and even pressurize them to become stiff. This makes the feathered octopus an amazing climber and deceiver. In fact so good, that until now the species has been considered a deformation of a chameleon. When scientists tried to heal the apparently sick animals with magic, the creature hastily spread it's four legs into eight tentacles and re-shaped its head to resemble the center of a flower with the tentacles quickly becoming the petals. It was then noticed that the species called "Firefly-eating sunflower" actually also was the feathered octopus in disguise the whole time. The feathered octopus left the ocean, simply because the amount of fuzzy leaves and things to copy in the jungle gave it an advantage there. Insects & Arachninds Demonspite- Vale of Creos Habitat and Location: Demonspite Desert, a massive and inhospitable arid wateland to the east of Creos. They infest the tunnels and caverns underneath it. But the Demonspite is just where their burrows come up for air, they could go on for much longer. Category: Part-Arthropod Part-Humanoid hive-mind species. Diet: Pigs, cattlegrubs and fungi mostly. But they feed everything to them and then eat those in turn. Size: A yard in length. General Appearance: From some angles they look uncannily human, from others they look uncannily other. Do not attempt to communicate with them. Kill on sight. They're much smarter than they look. Fish Righinn- '''Lèanacòrsa '''Habitat and Location: '''Commonly found in the estuaries and inland salt marshes of Lèanan, Righinn make migratory trips to and from the deeper waters of coastal Crùn to spawn and can be caught in great numbers during these periods. '''Diet: '''Primarily bottom feeding scavengers, Righinn scrub riverbeds clean of algae and debris. '''Size: '''Averaging half a metre in length, particularly long lived individuals grow to over a well over a metre. The Palace Aquiary contains a specimen rumored to be over two metres in length, though the validity of this claim has yet to be verified as the specimen has also grown predatory in it's long life and claimed the life of many other prized occupants of the Aquiary. '''General Appearance: Flat, angular bodies with similarly sized pectoral and pelvic fins allow the Righinn to "walk" across the bottom and scrape up food with it's downward facing mouth. A muddy brown base with black speckles help camouflage the fish from predators, males have a metallic silver spot on their tail and dorsal fins that glint in the light to attract mates. Hunare- '''Caeles/States of Fëyoln '''Habitat and Location: The most prominent kinds are located all around the swampy pits of the territory of Yspa, but certain subspecies can be also found in rivers all around the nation. Diet: Other fish, and small animals that venture to close to the bank of the river. Size: About a meter and a half long. General Appearance: The Hunare is a large, carnivorous fish, which has a smooth water-trapping skin so that it is able to survive on land for a short period of time. It has three sets of eyes; one in front of the head, one on the sides, and one on the top. This is an evolutionary breakthrough which allows them a nearly 360 degree field of view, and so no prey can escape its sight. They have very large main fins in order to propel its large body, and to push itself onto land to catch land-based prey by surprise. The Hunare is often a nuisance to fishers, who will eat their bait as well as the rest of the fishing rod. Ùig Lasg Amphibians Axefrog- The Chained Promontory Habitat and Location: Swamps, meadows with nearby water supply Diet: Omnivorous apex predator Size: ~100cm tall 230 cm wide when crouching, appearing much longer in jumps General Appearance: In the western forests, evolution seemed to miss crocodiles so bad that it took unsuspecting frogs and slowly let them grow into something that could take a crocodile's place in the foodchain. If it wanted. The freckled axefrog is a massive amphibian with a thick, muddly green skin and yellow eyes that waits in the water and shoots out when it notices prey. It's name derives from the fact that it's frontal legs have morphed to feature two fingers and a blade between them. One can guess that this used to be the webbed skin used for swimming and with the upcoming of a scaly skin had slowly become a sharp edge that could be used to ruin someones day rather than paddle in the water. Axefrogs are still good swimmers and their back-legs look ever froglike. In fact it is advised to try and attack their back legs when fighting an axefrog because their dangerousness stems from their ability to catapult themselves into enemies with their axeblade hands stretched before them. The freckled axefrog is a close relative to this animal. The only difference is that it appears white with yellow and orange spots all over it's body and that it's bite injects a terribly painful poison which's effect is comparable with a fever and heavy migraine. The white axehands of the freckled axefrog, still attached to their bones and held together with the re-purposed tendons of this limb is a traditional weapon of the Chained Promontory elf tribes. Reptiles Drij- '''Dra-miri Habitat and Location: Forests and home-caves. Diet: Omnivorus, scavenger preferences. Size: Length: 6 feet promedium. Wingspan: 4 feet maximum. General Appearance: They are a selectively bred pet of the Dra-miri. Coloration and race is very variable as there are 20+ recognized races. They have good disposition with Dragons, they act cranky with Easgannduinne and Outright ignore humans. Other interactions are not documented. Can be used as a messenger or guardian if trained. Dinosauria Birds Sult- Lèanacòrsa Habitat and Location: The dense grasslands and the reed choked salt marshes are where these fat, flightless birds make their nests. Sults live almost everywhere in Lèanacòrsa as they have been partially domesticated as a food source. Size: Standing at 45 centimeters tall and weighing in at 4 kilograms. Diet: The Sults diet mainly consists of small crustaceans and fallen fruit though occasionally it will consume carrion. Sults will lay two eggs every spring and both parents will watch over their chicks until they are around six months old before leaving them to fend for themselves. Their lifespan is around 20-30 years though few make it to that age as they're a staple food source for many of Lèanacòrsa's carnivores, including the Easgannduine who hunt and farm the creatures in large fenced enclosures alongside Clàbar-feòil. To hide from it's numerous predators they disguise themselves amongst the plants by working long blades of grass into their greenish yellow feathers. If that doesn't work then bird quickly switches tactics, sprinting at impressive speeds in hopes of losing it's pursuer. Though usually docile, male Sults engage in vicious fights during the mating season and will slash and kick rivals with their long legs and sharp talons. Rather curiously female Sults will sometimes pick a mate regardless of which one wins the fight, instead picking the male with the most impressive grass display. This leads to a divide amongst males of different regions, fewer predators means more outlandish displays and weaker males while places with more predators have simple displays and larger males. Some scholars argue the two should be separated into sub species but as it is a learned behavior and varies from year to year, it has remained unchanged. Western Cliff-Raven- The Chained Promontory '''Habitat and Location: The cliffs around western shores Diet: Fish but also animals who fell to their death Size: Wingspan of ~1 meter General Appearance: Black birds that have a deep, wry call. They are slightly taller and more sleek than other raven like birds, mostly because their beak is designed to poke fish out of the water as well as to quickly skin the carcasses of land animals, like sheep or goats. This appearance and their seemingly more precise method in eating corpses has also given them the name of "elf-raven". Mammals Short-Haired Mammoth- '''Volkomos Habitat and Location: They live in grassy fields, are native to the island of Volkomos. Category: Mammal Diet: Vegetarian, prefer the greenest grass available Size: A little larger than an ox, much smaller than the larger mammoths in the north. General Appearance: Smaller version of the mammoths we are familiar with. Has short fur similar to a horses, and can range from dark brown to blonde. Fil- Andalus Habitat and Location: Andalus Desert. They can be found in many habitats but mostly the desert, lakeshores, and the savannahs surrounding the desert. Category: mammal Diet: trees and shrubs Size: small building '''General Appearance: A massive creature, and often fericious when provoked. Their legs are like trees, their bodies larger than a house, they have enourmous sail like ears, a long snout like a serpent, and tusks the size of 10 spears. It is the ultimate beast of war and burden in Andalus. White Goblin- The Chained Promontory Habitat and Location: Mountains Diet: Mice, Weasels, Berries, also bread and other prepared foods. Size: ~60cm General Appearance: A small, bipedal creature with white skin and hairs. Their faces appear happy and mimic a fair share of human emotion, although their silly grin is mostly related to the shape of their skulls and their really strong yaws. White Goblins do live in smaller families and have an own language. It's hard to tell how far their culture is developed and if they can be interacted into modern society because they live at terribly windy heights and react quite hostile to intruders. While not exactly hunting intruders, they linger around unseen between snow and stones and wait until their enemy rests or stands close to a cliff to then kick their knees from behind or push them down with a suprising, scary noise. Wool Unicorn- The Chained Promontory Habitat and Location: Meadows Diet: Grass Size: ~120cm length x 90cm height General Appearance: Basically a sheep with a single horn on it's forehead. Those creatures are not very magical but do taste a bit better than regular sheep. Or at least everyone who breeds them pretends this. Green-Tailed Stagag- '''Strait of Mestisys Habitat and Location: Forests north-west of Mestisys Diet: Herbivore, mostly grasses, flowers, maize, and wild fruit Size: Ranging from a large dog when young to a small horse when fully adult General Appearance: Green-Tailed Stagag, different from the Red-Tailed Stagag native to the Strait and lands south of the Strait, are a much wilder breed of creature. Found in the wild forests of the newly acclaimed land bordering the Tripatriquon and the Andalus Desert, these deer-like creatures are highly intelligent and very illusive to hunt- most notably for their incredible ability to disguise themselves, by transforming into the earth and stone and wooding around them, they can shrug off a hunter's arrow or spear with ease, and use their light footedness and sharp memory to elude hunt of predators. The creatures resemble a North American white-tailed deer, but with some key differences: beyond the ability to transform, they are noticeably smaller, its fur longer and shaggier in places. New hunter's often describe the hide as "bark-like" and rigid, as well as greener and more condensed colors, resembling a greener-brown camouflage. Finally, it's silver antlers are the most most obvious difference from a standard deer, but also their ability to bend and morph them at will while remaining rigid and strong- having slain several, smiths confirm that they are pure silver and remain solid in death. While birth of a Green-Tailed Stagag has never been documented, it is believed to be similar to that of the Red-Tailed Stagag: two adults transform next to one another, entering an inanimate state for several hours until the act is done. That being said, Green-Tailed Stagag do not seem to form prides of groups under one territory, like Red-Tails, but rather seem to act together as one large, ever extending tribe or community. Observably it is the largest non-hivemind example of interconnectiveness recorded, with notes of Green-Tails aiding one another in escaping foes and even forming together with other, seemingly random Green-Tails from vast stretches of distance away to use their transformitive abilities to slow an enemies pursuit. Their only predators are the wild wolves, coyotes, and bears of the forests, who only survive by sheer force of will against the creatures, most all other predators having been staved out over the centuries. That being said, their difficulty to hunt is rewarded with delicous dark meat, expensive hide, and the silver of their antlers- it is the trait of a true huntsman to be able to track a Green-Tailed Stagag until the perfect time, when it's antlers are at their largest, before going for the precise kill between their transformations. Shadow-puppeteer Geckobat- The Chained Promontory '''Habitat and Location: Forests Diet: Smaller animals, mostly insects Size: the longest exemplar was one meter and 2 centimeters long with eight centimeter long legs. General Appearance: The Shadow-Puppeteer Geckobat is roughly the size of a ferret and has the same type of wriggly, dexterous movement. It's head has two massive eyes and a set of large, bat-like ears from which it got it's name. The feet of a Geckobat have long claws used for climbing and appear as four-fingered hands with thumbs. The eyes have a special property: While the Geckobat is blind and relies on it's hearing, the eyes have evolved to feature luminescent organs. In fact the eyes of a Geckobat, together with their batlike face and sharp teeth look uneasy to most people. They look appealing to moths and other insects though, which get attracted by the light and then eaten. The amazing part of this specific breed of Geckobat however is, that the animals have learned to move their tiny forelegs and hands in front of their eyes to cast shadow-puppets on surfaces. These are used to scare away predators. The call of a Geckobat is a wicked giggle that echoes through the forest and is repeated by other Geckobats who turn their head to the source. This has the effect that people who run through forests are sometimes caught in a valley of glowing yellow eyes. A modern day, earth dwelling human would call these creatures "gremlin-lemur" rather than geckobat. Lus Brùid Molnabeleg- '''Caeles/States of Fëyoln '''Habitat and Location: The woodlands of the Thean and Malagos Farai provinces. Diet: Insects and other small creatures Size: Can range from a square inch to the size of a large house. General Appearance: The Molnabeleg is a type of living goo that lives in the thin woodlands in the southern half of the Kingdom. It can range from yellow to dark brown in color, and varies insanely in size. They usually appear as blob of goo hanging from a thick tree branch, trapping insects that are attracted by its sweet smell. Large blobs of Molnabeleg cannot hang on tree branches, and instead simply lie on the forest floor, sometimes trapping things as large as a rabbit. Usually though, bears and deer know to stay away from it. If a Molnabeleg happens to find its way to a town, it will gradually eat up everything and everyone in it, as its body is as hard to escape as a pit of tar. For this reason, if a large, suspicious blob is seen moving towards a town, torches will be thrown at it, burning the entire thing into gas and ash. When a Molnabeleg reaches a certain size, it's body will not be able to move as a whole anymore, and so it breaks down into hundreds of thousands of tiny pieces and starts its life cycle again. Certain animals, such as some birds and rodents, eat small Molnabeleg as part of their diet. They must evolve slick mucus in their throats so that it doesn't get digested while they are swallowing their food. The main reason why no one takes a stroll in the forest is because you might get your foot stuck in one of the billions of Molnabelegë. Unknown Legend Class Epilogue W.I.P